I stopped at a gas station in a really bad part of town just the other day. I walked in to pay for gas, and noticed a cop standing next to the counter with a S&W SWVE 40. Most officers in Chattanooga carry Glock 40's, so I noticed the difference right away. I asked him why he opted for the SWVE over the Glock, and was put off by his answer.

He replied "It was cheaper, and it's just a piece anyway"

Chattanooga has the highest violent crime rate per capita in the state of Tennessee, aside from Memphis, and was rated as one of the "Top 25 deadliest places" to live IN AMERICA !!
I most definately was NOT expecting his reply. I couldn't even talk after he said that, I just nodded my head, and walked out. That, my friends, is the reason I carry a defensive side arm, and the reason you should if you don't. If the people who are supposed to "Protect and Serve" put economy over reliability, then who am I to expect them to put my personal safety as a high priority!?!? While the Smith might perform admirably, his attitude sure doesn't!


Friends, If you do not have a concealed carry permit, I strongly encourage you to do so. Especially if this is the attitude held by your local law enforcement!

I have a Pheonix Arms .25acp with a shot out barrel and 50% reliability he can have real cheap if he needs a backup.

Not all folks whom carry guns are interested in what is the best or what is the most efficient or even interested in guns in general. Many folks in law enforcement are there because it's just a job. The handgun is just a tool that's required for the job, nothing more nothing less.

I don't know if you've ever worked in the field Good Steward, but many of the folks that do don't know diddly about guns and are still good cops. Compassion, helpfulness and dedication does not necessarily mean they are gun oriented or even gun knowledgeable.

That's all well and good, but in my line of work, I am VERY knowledgeable about ALL tools that I use on a daily basis. I would expect the same commitment from anyone on any job where my tax dollars are going to fund their payroll. While I understand that not all people are gun people, the defensive sidearm is an irreplaceable tool in a soldiers or law officers arsenal of tools. And as such, they should know the gun inside and out, just as they should know the proper protocol for using such a tool. Mostly what bothered me was his nonchalant attitude about his sidearm, and the responsibility that comes with his wearing it in a public service capacity.


Cliff

I agree with what you are saying about knowing your tools, but what does it matter if he's carrying a Smith or a Glock, both have been proven to be reliable and accurate pistols, and who is to say he didn't qualify better and maybe he does know it inside and out. Honestly, the Glock and Smith have the same take down procedures, and are almost identical inside. I think you are taking his response way out of context, he probably doesn't want a lot of people asking him about the pistol, I wouldn't either, its just something to take your concentration away.
Besides, I highly doubt that they would just send a cop out with a gun and not have them prove themselves in training.

I think you are missing the point, Mattsbox.

I don't care if he's carrying a Smith or a Glock, it was his attitude of how it was JUST a piece, and the whole attitude that went with it. The only thing I was distracting him from was the BS session he had going with the clerk. If I can't ask a cop a question, who can I ask ??

Well, I don't know you, and your demeanor could have been perceived as much different by the cop. I know the city cops here carry the Glock 22 and the Yellowstone County Sheriff issues Glock 20s to its deputies.

I don't know the cop either, so I am pretty much just offering a different point of view.

Some LEOs just don't give a diddly about firearms. I was present at a shift inspection when our shift LT checked every officers sidearm. One of the troopers revolver was discovered to be unloaded. It seemed that he had cleaned it about a month before and had forgotten to reload it. Obviously, he didn't pay much attention to his weapon because he had been carrying around an empty revolver for a month. I am just glad I didn't need him for a backup at anytime.

Cliff,
The other guys can't empathize as they don't know how hostile it is around here. As you said, Memphis is worse than Chattanooga. Our officer in question might be protecting and serving, but he's doing it a whole lot slower with a 40VE. I turned mine over to a gunsmith this morning to see if he can perform a little magic on the slow action. The first time you fire it in a timed exercise might be the last as you'll be the slowest there.
Mike in Memphis (love Tennessee, hate Memphis)

I know Mes49, it was a culture shock when I went to work down here. I would NEVER live in the city of Chattanooga. I live on Signal Mountain and commute to the city for work. Like it or not, this is where the money was. I got my carry permit in short order when I moved here from a small farm community about 45 minutes north of Chatt.

You are right about Chattanooga and Memphis. BOTH haver higher violent crime rates per capita than Los Angeles.

Mattsbox, I wasn't trying to be hateful to you. It's just frustrating to me for the cops to talk and act like that when things are so bad in the city. There is no way I would let my wife and son come downtown without me. I'm not paranoid, it really is that bad. The officer may not be representative of the entire force, but even one with that attitude is dangerous, as far as I'm concerned.

I sure understand your frustration, even here where I live I run into much the same attitude at times. There's good officers and bad officers and officers that the badge makes into gods. I worked in the prison system for almost ten years and you can't believe what happens sometimes when a person puts on a badge. I was a training officer much of my time inside the system and it usually doesn't take long to sort a fella or lady out as to what kind of officer their going to be.

Unfortunately it doesn't matter how really bad they may be with the shortage of officers to fill out the shifts they still may get hired. Often the "Peter" principal gets the nod here.

The bottom line is folks that are real professionals do have your attitude about their tools, but that's usually not the majority of any force and especially if it's the attitude of the forces leadership. That's why some departments are better than others and why in those bottom of the barrel departments the "professionals" usually end up going where there attitude is appreciated.

At age 11, my dad took a good bit of pride in the fact that I could shoot a handgun better than any man on the local police force.

I'm an accountant, while I'm attached to the mechanical pencil I have used every day for a great many years, I don't get irate cause other bean counters use an inferior model.

Same here, I take pretty good pride in the work I do (Utility Mapping Engineer) however, some of my coworkers don't do their job and get a lot of utility damages (cut cables and gas lines) and they don't seem to care, but there isn't anything I can do about it except to keep doing my job the best I can. I would say that most of the officers on our force are okay people, but they are pricks to the public, I don't approach them and I don't particularly like them. We have very low crime here, the corruption on our force is rampant, several officers have been involved in highly questionable shootings in the last few years, and the lackluster crime solving skills have put a lot of doubt in our community. Yet again, nothing I can do about it.

Wow I work in the Chattanooga area every few weeks and had no idea it is a high crime area. I have a VA permit that reciprocates in TN. I'll carry when I'm there. Thanks for the heads up!

ShooterMarc,

All of the upscale fine restaraunts in the downtown area, where you most likely frequent with business associates, are about 2 blocks away from some of the worst crime areas in the United States. The Orchard Knob, St. Elmo, Alton Park, and Highland Park areas are lousy with robberies, shootings, and all other flavors of violent crime.

The thing with Tennessee that I agree and disagree with are laws that prevent you from having a CCW in any place that serves alchohol.

That's great for bars, where we all know that alchohol always makes a fuse burn faster and hotter. The downside to that is you can't carry to a nice restaraunt (all serve alchohol here) whether you're drinking or not, and like I just said, you're only about two blocks from those HIGH crime areas. So while I most definately agree you should carry here whenever possible, make sure of the laws, because while the thugs roam free shooting each other and innocent victims you would be the one hauled into court and/or jail for exercising your right to carry for defensive purposes.

catch - 22 huh ?

I would not take it too personnal. It just may have been his pat answer that day for some reason. Probably just a bad day for him and he was just not in the mood for small talk or he could have just been a jerk. Maybe it was the umteenth time that day someone had asked him about his sidearm. He may have been a lib and just did not want to talk to another citizen that may be carrying about his gun.

Ya never know what his problem was. Give the old boy in blue a break.

Yeah VA has the same deal with Alcohol and CC. I stay up around Hamilton Place and the restaurants up there. My business is in Lookout Mtn. I have been only downtown a couple of times and normally stop at the Sportsman's WH. It is still good info to know, thanks!

first law is survival.. after that i follow those on the books.if theirs a conflict between the two ,,i go with the law of survival.

When I was a municipal Police Officer we were allowed to carry just about anything we could qualify with. I didn't have much money to spend on the pistol I wanted but I took a very serious attitude about wanting something better. It was never and never will be "just a piece", it is the most important piece of duty gear. This guy shouldn't be a Police Officer. If he does not get himself hurt, he will probably get someone else hurt.

Kudu40

Most the LEOs I have known know at least something about their sidearm. They are not however, "gun-geeks". So maybe you got a guy who isn't into discussing the finer points of every firearm he's handled and he may work with a guy or two who all they can talk about is internal and external ballistics and the contruction merits of Glock or SW or XD.

This kind of falls into the "Whatever " file.

Good for you for taking your own safety seriously.
Per capita, you're in a pretty violent place.

Perhaps he sensed (as I do from your comments) that you were going to "diss" his choise of a sidearm and didn't want to get into it with you. I carried a handgun through 28 years of police work and can't think of a S&W that I wouldn't rather carry than a Glock.

Perhaps he sensed (as I do from your comments) that you were going to "diss" his choise of a sidearm and didn't want to get into it with you. I carried a handgun through 28 years of police work and can't think of a S&W that I wouldn't rather carry than a Glock.

Look here, for the umpteenth time . . . .I DO NOT CARE WHAT SIDEARM HE USES! As I have stated before in this very thread, the smith may have performed equal to or surpassing the Glock whatever.
The point I was trying to make is that it wasn't "It's more comfortable for me to shoot" or " I score better with this pistol" or whatever. It wasn't a reliability or functionality issue.

he replied " BECAUSE IT WAS CHEAPER"

Now, all you former and current cops that have ever acted this way, are as big a menace to society as the felons are.

And in case you're wondering why I have such a low opinion of Hamilton county police here in Chattanooga, they ARE the criminals. This is one reason I was so perturbed over the sidearm situation



By Lauren Gregory, Staff Writer
The Chattanooga Times Free Press
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Chattanooga, TN - Hamilton County Sheriff Billy Long -- who after his election victory in August 2006 pledged to "take the department to a higher level" -- now is in federal custody on extortion, money laundering and gun charges.

Sheriff Long, 55, was escorted into U.S. District Court on Saturday afternoon in jeans, a denim jacket and handcuffs. FBI agents had arrested him several hours earlier, the next step in what they said was an approximately 10-month investigation that is continuing.


Authorities said he will remain in custody at an undisclosed location pending the outcome of a bond hearing set for 2 p.m. Monday. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gary Humble said he plans to ask that the sheriff be detained, as he is "a danger to the community."


Sheriff Long also likely will face additional charges "as a result of arrest activities" Saturday morning, said U.S. Attorney James R. "Russ" Dedrick, declining to elaborate further.


In a news conference announcing the sheriff's arrest Saturday, FBI Special Agent Richard Lambert, who is in charge of the agency's Knoxville division, called the case "emblematic" of the FBI's efforts to fight public corruption.

"This is a sad day for all of us working in law enforcement in East Tennessee," Special Agent Lambert said. "When any law enforcement officer, be it federal, state or local, puts his desire for money above his sworn duty to protect and to serve, we all suffer."


Chattanooga police Sgt. Craig Joel, president of the Southeast Tennessee chapter of the Police Benevolent Association, said the news sent waves of "shock and betrayal" throughout all local law enforcement agencies.

The PBA, along with the Fraternal Order of Police and International Brotherhood of Police Officers, endorsed Sheriff Long's bid for office.


"We gave him our credibility, and he handed it back to us on a plate," Sgt. Joel said.

Though Sheriff Long still holds office, Sgt. Joel said many hope he will step down.


"I cannot imagine a more tasteful course for him at this point than resignation," the sergeant said.

Hamilton County Commissioner Curtis Adams on Saturday also called for the sheriff's immediate resignation.


PBA Vice President Mark Kimsey, a sergeant with the sheriff's department, described himself as a close personal friend and campaign contributor to Sheriff Long. Sgt. Kimsey said the arrest left him and his co-workers at the sheriff's department "sick."

"I expected it about as much as I expected a tsunami to overcome the Tennessee River," he said.


LEGAL ALLEGATIONS

During his hearing Saturday, the sheriff bowed his head and averted his eyes from the gallery of news reporters huddled into the first two rows of the courtroom as U.S. Magistrate Judge William B. Mitchell Carter outlined the charges against him.


Sheriff Long -- who oversees about 400 employees and makes about $104,000 a year -- is accused of shaking down ethnic Indian convenience store owners to "make good on what (he) claimed was a promised campaign contribution," according to the criminal complaint filed against him.

He is accused of accepting 12 payments totaling $17,400 between April 16, 2007, and Dec. 14, 2007, to protect the store owners' video poker business and other illegal activity, the complaint states.


The complaint alleges that Sheriff Long met in April with the owner of a Rossville Boulevard convenience store in a backroom, where Mr. Long is accused of telling the owner that he and other Indian store owners still owed Mr. Long $38,000 toward $50,000 promised in the sheriff's 2006 campaign.

Mr. Long allegedly threatened "to have to shut the store down" if the payment was not made, and that "if we go after one store, we'll go after all of them," the complaint states.


The owner of the Chevron Food Mart, Peddapuli Rao, gave Mr. Long $300 in a 2006 campaign contribution, according to Hamilton County records. In the store at 4510 Rossville Blvd., photographs are displayed of Mr. Rao with Mr. Long, Chattanooga Mayor Ron Littlefield and former Chattanooga Mayor Bob Corker, who is now a U.S. senator.

Mr. Rao was unavailable at the store Saturday.


Federal officials also allege that Sheriff Long received five cash payments totaling $6,550 between Dec. 3 and Jan. 24, payoff for allowing what he thought was the laundering of $625,000 in drug trafficking proceedings. The operation, which supposedly involved shipping money to Mexico in cremation urns under cremated human remains, was actually an undercover sting conducted by the FBI.

To further the operation, Sheriff Long also allegedly provided someone he knew was a convicted felon with a Hamilton County Sheriff's Department patrolman's badge and a revolver.


The sheriff could receive up to 20 years in prison and have to pay as much as a $250,000 fine for both the extortion and the money laundering charges, according to Mr. Humble. The gun charge carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine, he said.

And now this thread has run it's course.

No one here can answer as to the reason for the callousness of the cop.
You obviously are concerned more than the LEO, and as so, perhaps should voice your opinion to his supervisors.

I work with 24 officers each day as their mechanic. Of the 24, about 8 are shooters or hunters, the others just carry a gun at work, and most can't even legally own a gun in NJ, because they do not posess a NJ purchase credentials card. They were issued the gun, qualify with it, and that's about it.
Sig Sauer 228's in 9mm if ya care.

Thank you all for your input.

Thread closed.